Blake will bring its two Lower School campuses together and build an Early Learning Center in Hopkins for the 2023-24 school year. 

Bringing together the entire Lower School community on one campus will foster community for students, families and educators, create an environment tailored to young learners and early childhood educators, support collaboration among teachers and provide Lower Schoolers with campus familiarity as they transition to Middle School.

Blake will be among the first independent schools in the Upper Midwest to offer an Early Learning Center (ELC) for students in pre-kindergarten through first grade. The ELC will be constructed with universal design principles, green materials and a design that includes indoor and outdoor learning spaces. Building on Blake’s current Lower School academic program, the ELC will offer a Reggio-inspired pedagogy and focus on climate, conservation and the environment. The ELC presents an opportunity for Blake to envision, from the ground up, a teaching and learning environment inspired by equity, inclusiveness and the school’s commitment to pluralism. 

Both the shared Lower School campus and ELC will honor the legacy of the Highcroft campus and bring hallmarks of its culture to this new chapter in Blake’s 120-year history.

There will be no changes to Blake’s current Lower School structure for the 2021-22 or 2022-23 school years. Blake’s Middle School will remain in its current location in Hopkins and its Upper School will remain in its current location in Minneapolis.

“Over its 120-year history, Blake has embraced change and put the student experience at the heart of all we do,” says Anne Stavney, Head of School. “The Lower School Project honors that history, and it will play a key role in ensuring that Blake continues to serve well our students, teachers and families in the next 120 years.”